1.Everyone shall possess the right to freely express and publicise his thoughts in words, images or by any other means, as well as the right to inform others, inform himself and be informed without hindrance or discrimination
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Constitution of the Portuguese Republic, Article 37.º

Former PJ Inspector Gonçalo Amaral investigating Maddie Case

Marisa Rodrigues, Journalist: What has started with an exchange of phone calls and emails about the Madeleine McCann process might be now the beginning of a private investigation. Along with Gonçalo Amaral, a group of former police inspectors from various countries have one certainty: the girl died in the Ocean Club’s apartment.

Gonçalo Amaral: We are working on the death, the death of the child, which is an agreed point. And we are trying to understand what we can do in terms of diligences [coordinating investigative steps] to inspect the circumstances and the causes of that death; and afterwards we will inform the Attorney General of the result of that analysis.

MR: The group, which comprises four retired police inspectors, investigates at their own expenses and without the use of funds. The objective is the reopening of the process.

GA: The case should never have been archived; to be reopened it is a usual procedure. There are still many diligences to be made, they are in the process when it was archived; and that situation has to be emphasized and has to lead to the reopening of the process.

MR: Two years after the disappearance Gonçalo Amaral does not give up, and asks for political bravery to those who have the power to reopen the process.

Related Amaral and former policemen are investigating the “Maddie” case Restlessness and curiosity were heavy and the bitter taste of a “precocious and political” archiving left them “brooding” on a solution. The words are from Gonçalo Amaral – the first head of the investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann – who reveals that the group of investigators, that is made up by Portuguese, Spanish, English and Germans, wants to “know the truth”.

This is good news, and hopefully the truth will come out. Gonçalo Amaral seems a very determined man, and so he should be. He was treated appallingly. The UK Government should have not become involved in the investigation and left it to the Portuguese. Good Luck

What a great man Amaral is, full of integrity and determination. Will you let us know via your website if there is any way we Brits who are ashamed of our country and our government can contribute to his costs?